How to make a work schedule for employees: Tips and best practices

Do you run a business and struggle with creating work schedules for your employees? As you likely already know, employee scheduling is a crucial part of any business that deals with employee labor. Properly scheduling employees allows them to work efficiently and effectively - which is essential for your business’ success!

When you schedule employees effectively, it means that their labor is properly utilized. This allows them to complete their tasks quicker and to a better quality. And as we all know, the success of any business depends on how well and quickly they can meet employee staffing requirements. That’s why employee scheduling is absolutely essential for any company.

Fear no more though! In this article, we are going to show you the crucial factors you need to keep in mind when scheduling employees fairly. Not only that, we’ll also teach you how to avoid common scheduling errors by listing the best techniques and their benefits to your business. So, get ready to improve your scheduling game and watch your business thrive!

Factors to consider in the employee scheduling process

For those new to the game, the scheduling process is all about creating employee work schedules for the upcoming period, and then making any changes or adjustments necessary to create the final schedule. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, managers who are good at creating work schedules for their teams make all the difference in keeping businesses thriving and customers happy. 

 There are several important factors to consider when you’re starting the scheduling process:

• Staff availability
• Workload and demand
• Skill sets and qualifications
• Budget and cost constraints
• Employee preferences and needs
• Legal and regulatory requirements

 If you want to improve your scheduling process, you will need to make all these elements work in harmony together! We’ll explain each of these key factors in detail below before we move into practical tips for how you can start scheduling work.

Staff availability

Let’s start with the most obvious section. Staff availability is an essential aspect of employee work schedules in every business. Having the right staff available at the right time is key to boosting efficiency and productivity. That’s why it’s crucial to factor in staff availability when creating employee work schedules. By doing so, you can leverage each staff member’s strengths and ensure adequate coverage during peak times while avoiding staff burnout too.

One good way to take staff availability into account when building out employee schedules is by being intentional with shift schedules. This means assigning shifts that align with staff members’ abilities and preferences. This can result in higher job satisfaction levels for everyone

Additionally, it’s also important to consider your employees’ work preferences. If you want a team that not only functions well but has great morale, you need to increase flexibility and make it easier for them to switch working hours if needed. Yes, this can be harder to facilitate - but the companies that can handle these requests, often see happier staff and less employee churn. At the end of the day, considering staff availability when building work schedules is essential for promoting a healthy work-life balance. So let’s get started on creating those work schedules that work for everyone! 

Workload and demand

When carrying out employee work schedules in a business, there are two crucial factors to consider - workload and demand. This means you must assess the number of employees needed to accomplish all the tasks, as well as the types and length of expected work hours for each worker.

For example, during peak times, when demand is especially high, businesses need to ensure that they have schedule templates that support their best employees working at these busy times, to make sure the job gets done efficiently. However, you must also make sure your hard working staff get breaks, and the recognition they deserve for their dedication (more on that in a later section!)

That's why it's important for businesses to take into account workload and demand when designing schedule templates for their employees - it helps them make sure they have the right number of staff available when needed, driving productivity and customer service satisfaction.

It’s also essential to assess appropriate staffing needs. You must always make sure there are enough resources available to accomplish goals, such as meeting deadlines or producing required output. Workload and demand understandably vary based on your circumstances, so it is important for employers to continuously adjust staffing levels and determine appropriate scheduling accordingly.

Skill sets and qualifications

Next up are skills and qualifications. We all know that an employee’s qualifications and skill set play a huge role in determining their tasks and responsibilities. Choosing the right person for the job can make all the difference to maximize productivity. 

But what if someone doesn’t have the natural talent for a particular task? Don’t worry! With hands-on guidance, additional training and a strong career progression plan, dedicated employees can develop their skills to become great at all the assignments you need them to ace. 

For those employees that do have relevant experience or transferable soft skills, it is important for your business to capitalize on those strengths and equip them with the necessary tools to succeed. Doing so will enable employees to thrive in their roles, meaning they can accomplish business objectives more effectively and efficiently.

For instance, data entry tasks could be assigned to employees who are more analytical. While those with excellent customer service skills could handle customer interactions, such as when taking payments. By matching skills to tasks, businesses can maximize staff capacity and productivity, benefiting both the employee and the employer.This type of shift scheduling helps streamline efforts and ensures every worker is working in their element. Time to capitalize on our strengths and get the job done!

Budget and costs constraints

When scheduling employees at your business, it's important to keep in mind budget and cost constraints. Labor costs are normally one of the highest expenses for any business, especially small businesses that employ a lot of staff. So, scheduling too many shifts for one person could mean higher overtime pay, which can really cut into a company's profits. Yikes!

Moreover, over-scheduling employees can have a negative impact on their work engagement and motivation, which can ultimately affect their productivity. Therefore, considering cost restraints is key when planning employee schedules to make sure your staff are well-managed and happy while also helping to reduce labor costs.By finding the sweet spot in between scheduling enough staff to get the job done, and minimizing expenses, you can optimize your business operations and achieve your financial goals.

Employee preferences and needs

In the business world, managers should ideally honor work preferences when building employee work schedules. It’s sometimes harder said than done, but it’s one of the best ways to show you, as a manager, care for your employees. By listening and taking into account individual staff needs, employees feel appreciated and valued. As a result, businesses can foster a more positive environment for employee satisfaction and productivity.

For instance, employees may need to request time off for personal commitments, like a doctor's appointment or a family event. By listening to employees and honoring their requests, managers can build shifts that best accommodate these requests.

Recognizing employee preferences also helps ensure that work is distributed fairly among all team members. If you give time for one employee to go to the dentist: everyone (including you) gets the same offer. Although accommodating employee requests can be challenging, it encourages workplace morale and ultimately maximizes employee efficiency. So don’t forget to consider employee work preferences when building out schedules!

Legal and regulatory requirements

Last, but by no means least, we need to look at the legal side. Employers work hard to manage work schedules to maximize work done with set resources. But, safeguarding employee rights is also very important. There are local laws and federal laws that must be followed to manage schedules, such as time off requests, overtime rules and working hours for minors.

Ignoring the protection provided by such laws can lead to costly fines and litigation for businesses that don't follow them. Neglecting these regulations can certainly harm your company’s money, but can also impact your reputation too. Therefore, when creating work schedules of any size or importance, it is so important to ensure that employee rights are being observed according to the law. You must make sure you look up all the employee and employer laws that may affect your business, as they can vary by location.

There you go - the key factors to consider in creating employee work schedules, and why you need to include them in your process. Remember, to make these factors work together, employers can be intentional with shift schedules, match employees to tasks based on their strengths, consider cost restraints, honor work preferences, and follow legal regulations.

Best practices for setting an employee work schedule

So, you’re in charge of creating an employee schedule that rocks, right? Well, you’re in luck, because we’ve got some great practical tips to help you create a work schedule that’s effective and efficient for your business. Let’s start by talking about templates.

Create a work schedule template

Creating a work schedule template can help you streamline your scheduling process and ensure that your employees know their work schedules well in advance. Here are the steps to create a work schedule template:

1. Determine your business needs: Before creating a template, identify your business needs and staffing requirements. Consider the number of employees you have, the hours they are available to work, and the type of work they are qualified to do. Factor in times when your business is busier too, as this will give you a strong place to know when you need plenty of reliable staff on hand.
2. Choose a template: There are many free work schedule templates available online. Choose a template that best suits your business needs, taking into account the number of employees you have and the complexity of your schedule.
3. Enter employee information: Add the names and availability of your employees to the template. This will help you see when each employee is available to work, which will make it easier to assign shifts.
4. Assign shifts: Assign shifts to your employees based on their availability and qualifications. Consider workload and demand, as well as employee preferences and needs.
5. Communicate the schedule: Once you have completed the work schedule, communicate it to your employees. Make sure they have enough time to plan their personal lives around the schedule.

Lastly,  don’t forget that overscheduling employees can lead to burnout - so make sure you’re being fair when allocating shifts! If you don’t have enough staff to fill all your shifts (while honoring those critical factors we mentioned earlier), then it will be very clear that you may need to recruit more staff. This is why having a template is so important - it helps you identify gaps to make your business stronger. 

To make sure you get the most out of your work schedule template, here are our top tips:

Plan ahead! Prepare your employee schedule template in advance.

Planning your work schedule ahead of time is essential for keeping your team on track. It’s also one of the best ways to reduce absenteeism, regardless for if you need to factor in unpopular shifts (like night shifts) or cover busy times. Here are a few different types of schedule templates, and why you may want to use them: 

A weekly schedule. 

• This template is ideal for businesses with consistent weekly workloads. The template displays the shifts for each day of the week, making it easy to assign shifts to employees. 
• We recommend you write your weekly schedules at least two weeks in advance.

Monthly schedule.

• This template is best suited for businesses with fluctuating workloads. It displays the shifts for each day of the month, allowing you to plan your staffing needs in advance. 
• For a monthly schedule, planning 4-6 weeks in advance is good practice. This gives your team ample notice of their schedules and allows you to make adjustments as needed before the month begins.

Rotating schedule. 

• This template is ideal for businesses that require round-the-clock coverage. It displays a rotating schedule that alternates between day and night shifts, ensuring that each employee gets an equal number of shifts. 
• Rotating schedules are a lot more complex to plan, but generally you should aim to plan 4-6 weeks in advance. This allows you to coordinate shifts for multiple employees and ensures everyone has an equal number of shifts and time off.

Having a fixed schedule with different shift patterns will enable you to anticipate your staffing and workload needs. Did you know you can create one today with the help of Epos Now’s automated scheduling apps? Add it to your point of sale system now and get your work schedule on track!

Use a scheduling software tool

An employee scheduling software integrated into a POS program can help to make schedule management a breeze. This software is especially helpful in creating schedule templates, as users are able to select the same schedule combination and distribute it every week.

One of the nifty features that the best scheduling software will include is the availability chart. This chart is a lifesaver when it comes to making quick work schedule changes. Simply select the employee and check their availability.  No more wasting time manually filling out Excel sheets or Google docs! 

With the right scheduling tools, you can say goodbye to time-consuming errors like over-scheduling and hello to a more efficient work schedule! And if that wasn't enough, the top-notch scheduling tools on the market also come with the added perk of syncing up with your point of sale and payment system. This means that your payroll will be created based on your employee schedule, freeing up even more time for you to focus on other important business tasks. Trust us, with these awesome features, creating a well-organized and efficient work schedule has never been easier or more exciting!

Plus, not only can it help save time and money, but it can also reduce employee turnover by simplifying work schedules, providing flexibility to employees, and making it easy to create a rotating schedule. With employee scheduling software, businesses have the control they need to balance work with personal obligations while still getting work done efficiently.

Use data and analytics to inform decisions

When scheduling staff and deciding how many employees are needed at any given time, POS system reports can give business owners the insight they need. Being able to see peak times of day or recognize local holidays or special events means you’re never caught out  when planning your work schedules.

Sales data can also reveal your current selling trends, which can then be used to schedule more staff when it's necessary, or eliminate positions entirely at other times, based on forecasts.

Having an understanding of what each shift looks like also makes it easier to swap shifts with ample advance notice. Plus, you can ensure everyone is still in compliance with local laws governing labor hours. The data and analytics from a POS system are valuable tools for crafting accurate schedules that employees and management alike appreciate.

Create an employee list for on-call shifts

Creating an employee list for on-call shifts can provide countless advantages for a work schedule! If work hours are not continuous, it's important to identify a team member who can fill in the on-call schedule. This can be done by selecting from a pool of current or potential employees who have the necessary skills and availability to work during the required hours.

Having a list of people who are willing and readily available makes it easier to trade shifts not only that, it ensures that work schedules are accurate with plenty of consideration of workloads, especially during peak times when more hands may be needed. Therefore, having an up-to-date list of possible employees to fill on-call shifts is essential to managing work schedules.

Communicate the schedule effectively

We can’t say this enough - communication is key. You need to know the schedule as much as your staff need to know. And the earlier it is shared, the better!

With POS integrations, such as a Multi-site Manager, you can communicate with your workforce effortlessly from one tool too - so there are no excuses. Here are some of the benefits of communicating your work schedule:

• Having everyone on the same page about their shifts makes it easier to ensure efficiency and productivity in the workplace. By taking the time to plan out part-time or full-time schedules at least two weeks ahead of time, and sharing this immediately with the staff, companies are able to get ahead of any unexpected changes in staffing needs. This also helps solve any staffing issues that could arise due to overlapping shifts or same-day shift swaps.
• Communicating shifts in advance allows employees peace of mind. By knowing when they will be working, well before their shift begins, can help minimize potential conflicts with personal commitments. If you give your staff enough notice, they will repay the favor when asking for annual leave - giving you plenty of time to alter the schedule.

Ultimately, creating an effective work schedule is essential for businesses that want to maximize employee satisfaction while achieving success in the long run.

Regularly review and adjust the schedule as needed

Your schedule should be constantly adjusted and upgraded to suit your business. Regular reviews and adjustments are key to keeping everything running smoothly.

A good automated employee schedule template will allow you to easily adjust employee shift preferences, such as part-time employee availability or night shift requests. It's important to regularly review the schedule to make any needed changes; things like employee break times, work hours, and employee vacations all need to be taken into account in the final schedule too.

An employee who feels taken into consideration is more likely to have less stress in their job. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your staff schedule through your POS system helps to create a more time-efficient and healthier workplace environment.

Final thoughts

In summary, work schedule processing can be a complex process. But that’s because it requires thoughtful planning and execution. It is important to consider employee availability when creating the shift schedule and to ensure compliance with legal labor regulations.

By using the latest technology tools, employers can make work schedule processing an efficient and smooth task for both staff and management. To ensure effective staff scheduling, create protocols for scheduling, confirm availability of supervisors and employees, allow employees to indicate preferences for work hours, and understand labor laws regarding work hours. Oh - and always use a template that works well for your business!

With proper work schedule processing strategies in place, organizations will be better equipped to adapt quickly when work conditions change, have happier staff, and have a more productive team. A win-win for everyone!